Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Table of Contents
Overview - Washington
Located on the Potomac River, Washington, contained within the District of Columbia, is the capital of the United States of America. It has approximately 713,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2019. The Washington metropolitan area (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria) comprised 6,216,589 residents as of the 2017 US Census Bureau Estimate.
The Washington DC Metro Area's rapid transit network consists of six metro services. It also has two commuter networks connecting it to Maryland and Virginia, as well as a modern streetcar service and a BRT-Lite service.
Washington Metro (Metrorail)
Opened 1976, the Washington Metro consists of six primarily-interlined services, connecting the city of Washington in the District of Columbia to suburban destinations within Maryland and Virginia.
An infill station is planned at Potomac Yards on the Blue and Yellow lines.
Red Line
The Red Line is a metro service with a vaguely U-shaped alignment, with both ends entering Maryland (both in Montgomery County) and the core located in Washington DC. It runs from Shady Grove in the west to Glenmont in the east via the city center of Washington DC and serves 27 stations. It is the only service in the Washington Metro to not share track with another service, though it did so briefly between 1997 and 1999.
The Red Line was opened in March 1976 and the last expansion to the line was the opening of the NoMa-Gallaudet University station in November 2004. The Red Line is operated by WMATA.
Blue Line
The Blue Line is a metro service with a southwest to east alignment, running from Fairfax County and Arlington in Virginia, through Washington DC, and out towards Prince George's County in Maryland. It runs from Franconia-Springfield in the southwest to Downtown Largo in the east and serves 28 stations. It shares most of its stations with the Yellow, Orange, and Silver lines.
The Blue Line was opened in July 1977 and the last expansion to the line was the opening of Potomac Yard in May 2023. The Blue Line is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 15' | 12' | 15' | 15' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Orange Line
The Orange Line is a metro service with a west to east alignment, running from Fairfax County and Arlington in Virginia, through Washington DC, and out towards Prince George's County in Maryland. It runs from Vienna in the west to New Carrollton in the east and serves 26 stations. It shares most of its stations with the Blue and Silver lines.
The Orange Line was opened in November 1978 and the last expansion to the line was the extension to Vienna in 1986. The Orange Line is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | 20' | 12'/24' | 20' | 20' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Yellow Line
The Yellow Line is a metro service with a north to south alignment, running from Prince George's County in Maryland, through Washington DC, and then out towards Fairfax County in Virginia. It runs from Mt Vernon Square in the north to Huntington in the south and serves 13 stations. The Yellow Line's northern terminus occasionally changes between Mt Vernon Square, Fort Totten, and Greenbelt. It shares most of its stations with the Blue and Green lines and has minimal exclusive trackage, the most significant being the bridge over the Potomac River.
The Yellow Line was opened in April 1983. The latest expansion to the line was the opening of Potomac Yard in May 2023. The Yellow Line is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 8' | 8' | 12' | 12' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Green Line
The Green Line is a metro service with a north to south alignment, running from Prince George's County in Maryland, through Washington DC, and then back out to Prince George's County. It runs from Greenbelt in the north to Branch Avenue in the south and serves 21 stations. It shares many of its stations with the Yellow line.
The Green Line was opened in May 1991 and the last expansion to the line was the extension to Branch Avenue in January 2001. The Green Line is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 8' | 8' | 8' | 8' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a metro service with an east to west alignment, running from Prince George's County in Maryland, through Washington DC, into Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia. It runs from Downtown Largo in the east to Ashburn in the west and serves 34 stations. It shares many of its stations with the Blue and Silver Lines.
The Silver Line was opened in July 2014 and the last expansion to the line was the extension to Ashburn in November 2022. The Silver Line is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 15' | 12' | 15' | 15' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: May 19, 2023
Metroway
Opened 2014, Metroway is a BRT-Lite service serving Northern Virginia.
Metroway Potomac Yard Line
The Metroway Potomac Yard Line is a BRT-Lite service with a north to south alignment. It runs from Pentagon City in the north to Braddock Road in the south and serves 17 stations and stops, of which five are in a single direction only. It runs in two short separate bus rapid transit corridors but otherwise runs in mixed traffic.
The Metroway Potomac Yards Line was opened in August 2014 and was extended to Pentagon City in April 2016. The East Glebe & Potomac stop was opened in May 2019. Metroway is operated by WMATA.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metroway | 12' | 12' | 12' | 12' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: Nov 16, 2022
DC Streetcar
Opened February 2016, the DC Streetcar is a modern streetcar service serving the eastern part of Washington DC.
H Street/Benning Road Line
The H Street/Benning Road Line is a modern streetcar service with an east to west alignment, running along H Street and Benning Road in Washington DC. It runs from Union Station in the west to Oklahoma Avenue in the east and serves 8 stops.
The H Street/Benning Road Line was opened in February 2016. The H Street/Benning Road Line is owned by the government of the District of Columbia.
| Service | M-F Midday | M-F Rush | Sat. | Sun. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H/Benning | 12' | 12' | 12' | 12' |
Schedules -- Last Updated: Nov 16, 2022
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC)
Opened 1984 as the Maryland Rail Commuter, the Maryland Area Regional Commuter is a three line commuter rail network serving the state of Maryland and Washington DC. MARC services run along existing freight and passenger railroads.
MARC Penn Line
The MARC Penn Line is a commuter rail service with a northeast to southwest alignment, running along the Northeast Corridor from Perryville, Maryland through Baltimore Penn Station and into Washington DC Union Station. It serves 13 stations and is the only MARC service that runs on weekends.
The MARC Penn Line was opened in 1834 as part of the Northeast Corridor. The MARC Penn Line is operated by Amtrak and the Maryland Transit Administration.
MARC Camden Line
The MARC Camden Line is a commuter rail service with a northeast to southwest alignment, running from Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland to Washington DC Union Station. It serves 12 stations and only runs on weekdays.
The MARC Camden Line was opened in 1835. The MARC Camden Line is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration.
MARC Brunswick Line
The MARC Brunswick Line is a commuter rail service with a northwest to southeast alignment, running from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Washington DC Union Station. It serves 19 stations and only runs on weekdays.
The MARC Brunswick Line was opened in 1873. The MARC Brunswick Line is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration.
Virginia Railway Express (VRE)
Opened 1992, the Virginia Railway Express is a two line commuter rail system serving the state of Virginia and Washington DC. VRE services run along existing freight and passenger railroads.
VRE Fredericksburg Line
The VRE Fredericksburg Line is an commuter rail service with a north to south alignment, running from Washington DC Union Station to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania in northern Virginia. It serves 13 stations and only runs on weekday peak hours.
The VRE Fredericksburg Line was opened in July 1992.
VRE Manassas Line
The VRE Manassas Line is an commuter rail service with a north to southwest alignment, running from Washington DC Union Station to Manassas and Broad Run, Bristow in northern Virginia. It serves 10 stations and only runs on weekday peak hours.
The VRE Manassas Line was opened in June 1992.
References & Helpful Links
Official Website for Washington Metro and Metroway: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
Official Website for DC Streetcar: DC Streetcar
Official Website for MARC: Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Official Website for VRE: Virginia Railway Express (VRE)
Maps
All Official Maps - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority [Last Accessed Nov 16, 2022]
All Official Maps - Maryland Transit Administration [Last Accessed Nov 16, 2022]
Official System Map - Washington Metro [PDF] [Last Accessed Nov 16, 2022]
Official System Map - MARC Train System Map [PDF] [Last Accessed Nov 16, 2022]
Official System Map - VRE [Last Accessed Nov 16, 2022]
Unofficial Map - Washington Metro [Jan 2019] by Jug Cerovic (www.inat.fr)
Unofficial Map - MARC [Jun 2015] by Peter Dovak (transitmap.net)
Unofficial Map - Washington DC [Mar 2023] by Eric M (yimby.club)
Other Sources
Washington, USA at Urbanrail.net
Alexandria-Arlington, USA at BRTDATA.org
Other Websites
Asset Notes
Metrorail line colors taken from Wikipedia icons.
MARC line colors taken from February 2019 official MARC system map. MARC text color taken from official MARC logo.
DC Streetcar line color taken from Wikipedia logo.
Metroway line color taken from official timetable header as of Sept 2020.